The present invention relates to an improved key, key handle and lock.
Prior art sidebar locks include a cylindrical plug which is mounted into an outer housing or shell in which the plug rotates. The shell is mounted in a suitable latch structure. The plug is locked within the shell by interference between the shell and the plug. This locked state occurs when sidebars from the plug are extended into sidebar grooves located along the sides of the shell. This prevents the plug from rotating with respect to the shell.
The locks are provided with sidebar pins which are directed from the sidebars and which protrude towards the interior of the plug. When the lock is in a locked condition, the sidebar pins do not align with complementary holes in tumblers that are located in the plug. Consequently, unless a correct key is inserted, the sidebar cannot be withdrawn into a sidebar slot which runs the length of the plug. When the correct key is inserted, the tumblers are simultaneously raised to varying degrees so that the tumbler holes are aligned with the sidebar pins. Consequently, the sidebars are able to be received into the slots in the side of the plug, thus no longer acting as an obstacle to the rotation of the plug within the shell. Hence, the lock assumes an unlocked state because the sidebars no longer act as obstacles to the rotation of the plug,
Although such locks afford a high degree of security, it would be desirable if the resistance of the lock to unauthorised unlocking was increased even further.
It is an object of the present invention to provide any one of: a high security key, a handle for such a key, and a complementary lock which is operated by such a key.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a key including an actuator which has an operation means and an interaction means, the arrangement being such that operatively, if the key is inserted into a lock, a force is applied to the operation means and the position of the interaction means is altered.
Preferably, the key is operatively adapted such that the force applied to the operation means is supplied by the manual force which a user exerts in inserting the key through the opening of the lock.
Preferably, the alteration of the position of the interaction means is achieved by the actuator being rotatable relative to the body of the key.
Alternatively, the alteration of the position of the interaction means may be achieved by the actuator being pivotable relative to the body of the key.
Preferably, the operation means comprises a part of the actuator positioned and adapted to be forced against a face of the lock during lock insertion.
Preferably, the interaction means is operatively adapted to interact with the lock in a locking or unlocking action therefor, the alteration of the position of the interaction means being part of the locking or unlocking action.
Preferably, the interaction means is arranged and operatively adapted such that, upon key insertion, the interaction means is substantially positioned within the lock.
Preferably, the interaction means comprises a protrusion from the actuator.
Preferably, the key is provided with a key blade, the actuator being positioned alongside the blade.
The key may be provided with at least two blades, and the actuator may be aligned along a plane lying between the two blades.
Each blade may be connected to a handle portion of the key, and the operation means of the actuator may be substantially shielded by the handle portion, while the interaction means may be shielded at least partly by the blade portions.
Preferably, the blade or each of the blades further includes teeth for operation of lock tumblers.
Preferably, the key further includes a biasing means for biasing the actuator into a first position when the key is not inserted into a the lock.
Preferably, in said first position, a part of said operation means protrudes beyond a surface of the key, such that said part is operatively adapted to abut the face of the lock upon lock insertion.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a key handle including an actuator which has an operation means and an interaction means, wherein, upon applying a force to the operation means, the position of the interaction means is altered, the key handle being adapted for a key blade to be attached thereto to form a key which is operatively adapted to be inserted through an opening in a face of a lock.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a lock for operation by a key, said key including a moveable actuator having an operation means and an interaction means, said lock including an interference means responsive to the interaction means to release the lock.
Preferably, the interference means includes a blocking element that obstructs part of the lock so as to prevent the occurrence of a step that is necessary for the unlocking of the lock.
In an embodiment, the interference means comprises a relocker bar supported by an anvil, the anvil being responsive to the interaction means to raise and lower the relocker bar so that in, a locked position, the relocker bar obstructs sidebar grooves of the lock while, in an unlocked position, the relocker bar is clear of the sidebar grooves.
Preferably, the lock further including tumblers responsive to teeth located on a blade of the key for moving the tumblers from a position where the tumblers prevent rotation of a plug of the lock relative to a shell surrounding said plug.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a security system including:
a) a key including an actuator means, having an operation means and an interaction means, wherein upon applying force to the operation means the position of the interaction means is altered; and
b) a lock for operation by the key including an interference means for locking a plug of the lock to a surrounding lock shell, said interference means being responsive to the interaction means for unlocking of said lock.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a security system including:
a) a key as described above; and
b) a lock as described above;
wherein the actuator of the key interacts with the interference means of the lock, such that the alteration of the position of the interaction means of the key causes an alteration of the position of the interference means of the lock so as to achieve unlocking of the lock.